Matsudaira Tadayori facts for kids

Matsudaira Tadayori (松平忠頼, 1582 – October 26, 1609) was an important Japanese samurai. He lived during the Sengoku period, a time of many wars in Japan. Later, he became a powerful lord, known as a daimyō, under the Tokugawa shogunate. This was during the early Edo period in Japan. He also started a special branch of the Matsudaira clan, called the Sakurai-branch.

Early Life and Rise to Power

Matsudaira Tadayori was the younger son of Matsudaira Tadayoshi. His family had served the powerful Tokugawa clan for many years. This meant they were trusted supporters.

During the famous Battle of Sekigahara, Tadayori was given an important job. He had to protect Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province. This was a very important castle to the Tokugawa family.

In 1601, he was put in charge of two more castles. These were Inuyama Castle in Owari Province and Kaneyama Castle in Mino Province.

Becoming a Daimyō

Later in 1601, his uncle Matsudaira Iehiro passed away. Tadayori then inherited a large area of land called Musashi-Matsuyama Domain. This land was worth 15,000 koku. A koku was a way to measure how much rice a piece of land could produce. It showed how wealthy and powerful a lord was.

With this new land and his other holdings, his total income reached 25,000 koku. This amount was enough for him to be officially recognized as a daimyō. A daimyō was a powerful feudal lord in Japan.

Service to the Shōgun

In 1602, the top military leader of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the Shōgun. The Shōgun was like the supreme general and ruler of Japan. Ieyasu decided to increase Tadayori's income. He doubled it to 50,000 koku.

He also moved Tadayori to a new and important area. This was Hamamatsu Domain in Tōtōmi Province. This showed how much the Shōgun trusted him.

In December 1607, Tadayori was asked to help with a big project. Sunpu Castle had burned down, and the Shōgun wanted it rebuilt. Tadayori helped with this important task.

Later Life and Family

Matsudaira Tadayori was married to a daughter of Oda Nagamasu. Together, they had six sons. However, when Tadayori passed away, his oldest son, Matsudaira Tadashige, was still very young.

Because of his young age and the way his father died, Tadashige did not become a daimyō. Instead, he became a hatamoto, which was a high-ranking samurai who served the Shōgun directly. The Hamamatsu Domain was then given to another lord, Kōriki Tadafusa.

Tadayori's grave is located at Sengan-ji temple in Fuchū, Tokyo. This temple is connected to the Inoue clan.